Linga Purana

चतुर्व्यूहेण मार्गेण विचार्यालोक्य सुव्रत संसारहेतुः संसारो मोक्षहेतुश् च निर्वृतिः

By the fourfold path, O virtuous one, having examined and considered, the cause of worldly existence is samsara, and the cause of liberation is release.

चतुर्व्यूहः समाख्यातश् चिन्तकस्येह योगिनः चिन्ता बहुविधा ख्याता सैकत्र परमेष्ठिना

The fourfold division has been described for the contemplative yogi here; many kinds of contemplation are known, but all are united in the supreme Lord.

सुनिष्ठेत्यत्र कथिता रुद्रं रौद्री न संशयः ऐन्द्री चेन्द्रे तथा सौम्या सोमे नारायणे तथा

Thus, it has been taught here without doubt: Rudra is in Raudrī, Indrī in Indra, Saumya in Soma, and likewise Nārāyaṇī in Nārāyaṇa.

सूर्ये वह्नौ च सर्वेषां सर्वत्रैवं विचारतः सैवाहं सो ऽहमित्येवं द्विधा संस्थाप्य भावतः

Considering everything in the sun, in fire, and everywhere, one should establish, in thought, the distinction: 'She is I, I am He,' in this twofold manner.

भक्तो ऽसौ नास्ति यस्तस्माच् चिन्ता ब्राह्मी न संशयः एवं ब्रह्ममयं ध्यायेत् पूर्वं विप्र चराचरम्

He is not a devotee who lacks this understanding; there is no doubt that such a one’s contemplation is not Brahmanic. Thus, O Brahmin, first meditate on all that moves and does not move as pervaded by Brahman.

चराचरविभागं च त्यजेदभिमतं स्मरन् त्याज्यं ग्राह्यम् अलभ्यं च कृत्यं चाकृत्यमेव च

One should abandon the distinction between moving and unmoving, remembering to give up attachment and aversion, the attainable and unattainable, what should be done and what should not be done.

यस्य नास्ति सुतृप्तस्य तस्य ब्राह्मी न चान्यथा आभ्यन्तरं समाख्यातम् एवमभ्यर्चनं क्रमात्

For one who is not fully content, there is no Brahmanic state; it is not otherwise. Thus, the inner worship has been described in order.

आभ्यन्तरार्चकाः पूज्या नमस्कारादिभिस् तथा विरूपा विकृताश्चापि न निन्द्या ब्रह्मवादिनः

Those who perform inner worship are to be honored with salutations and the like; even if they are deformed or misshapen, the speakers of Brahman are not to be reviled.

आभ्यन्तरार्चकाः सर्वे न परीक्ष्या विजानता निन्दका एव दुःखार्ता भविष्यन्त्यल्पचेतसः

All those who perform inner worship should not be judged by the wise; those who revile them, being of little understanding, will suffer distress.

यथा दारुवने रुद्रं विनिन्द्य मुनयः पुरा तस्मात्सेव्या नमस्कार्याः सदा ब्रह्मविदस् तथा

Just as the sages of old once reviled Rudra in the forest of Daru, so too, the knowers of Brahman must always be served and saluted.

वर्णाश्रमविनिर्मुक्ता वर्णाश्रमपरायणैः

Those freed from caste and stage of life, and those devoted to caste and stage of life—

इदानीं श्रोतुमिच्छामि पुरा दारुवने विभो प्रवृत्तं तद्वनस्थानां तपसा भावितात्मनाम्

Now I wish to hear, O Lord, about what happened long ago in the Daru forest, concerning those forest-dwelling ascetics whose souls were purified by austerity.

कथं दारुवनं प्राप्तो भगवान्नीललोहितः विकृतं रूपमास्थाय चोर्ध्वरेता दिगम्बरः

How did the Lord Nīlalohita, assuming a strange form, with his seed held upward and clad in the directions alone, come to the Daru forest?

किं प्रवृत्तं वने तस्मिन् रुद्रस्य परमात्मनः वक्तुमर्हसि तत्त्वेन देवदेवस्य चेष्टितम्

What happened in that forest concerning Rudra, the Supreme Self? You should truly tell what the God of gods did there.

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा श्रुतिसारविदां वरः शिलादसूनुर्भगवान् प्राह किंचिद्भवं हसन्

Hearing these words, the best among those who know the essence of the scriptures, the blessed son of Śilāda, smiled a little and spoke.

मुनयो दारुगहने तपस्तेपुः सुदारुणम् तुष्ट्यर्थं देवदेवस्य सदारतनयाग्नयः

The sages performed severe austerities in the Daru forest, together with their wives, sons, and sacrificial fires, to please the God of gods.

तुष्टो रुद्रो जगन्नाथश् चेकितानो वृषध्वजः धूर्जटिः परमेशानो भगवान्नीललोहितः

Rudra, Lord of the universe, the wise one, the bull-bannered, the matted-haired, the supreme Lord, the blessed Nīlalohita, was pleased.

प्रवृत्तिलक्षणं ज्ञानं ज्ञातुं दारुवनौकसाम् परीक्षार्थं जगन्नाथः श्रद्धया क्रीडया च सः

Desiring to know the knowledge characterized by action among the dwellers of the Daru forest, the Lord of the universe, for the sake of examination, with faith and playfulness, did so.

निवृत्तिलक्षणज्ञानप्रतिष्ठार्थं च शङ्करः देवदारुवनस्थानां प्रवृत्तिज्ञानचेतसाम्

And Śaṅkara, for the establishment of knowledge characterized by renunciation among those in the divine Daru forest, whose minds were set on the knowledge of action—

विकृतं रूपमास्थाय दिग्वासा विषमेक्षणः मुग्धो द्विहस्तः कृष्णाङ्गो दिव्यं दारुवनं ययौ

Assuming a strange form, naked, with uneven eyes, appearing bewildered, two-armed, dark-bodied, he went to the divine Daru forest.

मन्दस्मितं च भगवान् स्त्रीणां मनसिजोद्भवम् भ्रूविलासं च गानं च चकारातीव सुंदरः

The blessed Lord, exceedingly beautiful, with a gentle smile, displayed the play of his eyebrows and singing, arising from the god of love in the minds of women.

संप्रोक्ष्य नारीवृन्दं वै मुहुर्मुहुरनङ्गहा अनङ्गवृद्धिम् अकरोद् अतीव मधुराकृतिः

He sprinkled the group of women again and again, the destroyer of desire, and greatly increased their passion, his form exceedingly charming.

वने तं पुरुषं दृष्ट्वा विकृतं नीललोहितम् स्त्रियः पतिव्रताश्चापि तमेवान्वयुरादरात्

Seeing that man in the forest, strange and colored blue and red, the women, even those devoted to their husbands, followed him with respect.

वनोटजद्वारगताश् च नार्यो विस्रस्तवस्त्राभरणा विचेष्टाः लब्ध्वा स्मितं तस्य मुखारविन्दाद् द्रुमालयस्थास् तम् अथान्वयुस्ताः

The women, standing at the entrances of their forest huts, with garments and ornaments loosened, moved restlessly; having received a smile from his lotus-like face, those dwelling among the trees then followed him.

दृष्ट्वा काश्चिद्भवं नार्यो मदघूर्णितलोचनाः विलासबाह्यास्ताश्चापि भ्रूविलासं प्रचक्रिरे

Some women, seeing Bhava, their eyes rolling with intoxication, lost all outward modesty and made gestures with their eyebrows.

अथ दृष्ट्वापरा नार्यः किंचित् प्रहसिताननाः किंचिद् विस्रस्तवसनाः स्रस्तकाञ्चीगुणा जगुः

Then other women, seeing him, smiled a little, their faces bright; some with garments slipping, their girdles loosened, began to sing.

काश्चित्तदा तं विपिने तु दृष्ट्वा विप्राङ्गनाः स्रस्तनवांशुकं वा स्वान्स्वान्विचित्रान् वलयान्प्रविध्य मदान्विता बन्धुजनांश् च जग्मुः

Some brahmin women, seeing him in the forest at that time, their new silk garments slipping, threw off their various bangles in excitement and went to their relatives.

काचित्तदा तं न विवेद दृष्ट्वा विवासना स्रस्तमहांशुका च शाखाविचित्रान् विटपान्प्रसिद्धान् मदान्विता बन्धुजनांस्तथान्याः

One woman, seeing him then, did not recognize him, her garment fallen, her great cloth loosened; intoxicated, she went to the famous branches and boughs, as did other relatives.

काश्चिज्जगुस्तं ननृतुर् निपेतुश् च धरातले निषेदुर्गजवच्चान्या प्रोवाच द्विजपुङ्गवाः

Some sang to him, some danced, and some fell to the ground; others sat down like elephants, and some spoke to the best of brahmins.